Indicator-actuating mechanism.



0. E. KELLUM.

INDICATOR AGTUATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15, 1911.

' g Homey :DLUMBIA PLANQGRAPH co.. WASHINGTON. D, c.

n`itTNIlilliD STATES PATENT TTTQE,

ORLANDO E. KELLUM, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONALSTREET AND STATION INDICATOR COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ACORPORA- TION OE CALIFORNIA.

INDICATOR-ACTUATING MECHANISM.

Application led June 15, 1911.

To all whom may concern:

Be it known that I, ORLANDO E. KELLUM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements inIndicator-Actuating Mechanisms, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to an electrically operated magnetic mechanismfor producing a step by step movement for an indicator such as a stationindicatorfor railways; and it consists particularly in certainimprovements of mechanism and arrangement over my invention entitledindicator actuating mechanisms for which application for Letters Patentwas filed by me on November 23rd, 1910, bearing S. N. 593,831.

The present invention has to do particularly with certain improvedarrangement of pawls and pawl actuating mechanism for starting andstopping the action of the indicator in precise position. In my formerinvention there were certain defects of operation caused by theengagement of the stop pawls being momentary and not continuous whilethe mechanism was at rest. In the old mechanism the stop pawls do notengage with the ratchet wheel when the device is in its normal position,being only momentarily engaged when the device comes to a stop. In mypresent invention the device is held immovable at all times except whenacted electrically or when, by special manipulation of the reversing andcontrolling handle, the device may be moved by hand.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my improved form of mechanism,in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the mechanism. Fig. 2 isan end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an opposite end elevation of thesame.

In the drawings I have shown the mechanism inclosed within a suitablecase 5. I now utilize an electro-magnetic field piece 6 Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Auo. 12,1913.

seran No. 633,360.

provided with winding 7 and arranged in the ordinary U-shaped singlewinding arrangement. A shaft 8 supports armature 9 adapted to oscillatebetween the two pole pieces 10. Armature 9 is rigidly secured to shaft 8and is provided with a pin 11 which projects back from the armature andhas its end connected to a coiled spring 1Q. which always tends to pullthe armature to a vertical position. Arranged with a bearing sleevearound shaft 8 is a sector 14 having a circumferential slot 15 throughwhich pin 11 projects. A control handle 16 is pivoted to sector 111 at17 and projects out through a slot 18 in the side of case 5. The loweredge of handle 16 is provided with notches 19 which are engageable withthe wall of case 5 to hold sector 14 either in the position shown, or inan upright position, or in a position opposite to that shown. In theposition shown the armature 9 will only be attracted in the directionindicated when the field is magnetized; in the opposite position thearmature will be attracted in the opposite direction.

Mounted on the front faces of pole pieces 10 is a bearing plate 2O whichcarries a stationary cam 21 on its upper end. Immediately in front ofstationary cam 21 is mounted a movable cam plate 22 which has cam 23 onits lower end. Cam plate 22 is connected to armature 9 by a pin 24: soas to always rotate therewith. On plate 22 are mounted two pawls 25which have rollers 26 running over the face of cam 21 so as to be liftedout of engagement with the teeth of ratchet wheel 27 during a portion oftheir movements. Ratchet wheel 27 is rigidly mounted on shaft 8 and theengagement of pawls 25 with the teeth of this ratchet wheel is designedto rotate the shaft. Pivotally mounted at 30 on the pole pieces 10 aretwo stationary pawls 31 adapted to engage with the teeth of the ratchetwheel when the ratchet wheel is stationary and to hold it from movementin either direction. These pawls have rollers 32 which engage `with thein Fig. 2,

face of cam 23 and are adapted to move the pawls out of engagement withthe ratchet teeth at appropriate times.

With the mechanism in the position shown when the current is supplied towinding 7, the armature is attracted in the direction indicated andleft-hand pawl 25 engages with the ratchet tooth immediately beneath itand the rotation of the armature then forces the ratchet wheel and shaftto rotate. At the same time and before the pawl engages with the ratchettooth, cam 23 is moved so as to lift right-hand pawl 31 entirely out ofengagement with the ratchet tooth with which it is now shown inengagement. The ratchet wheel is thus free to move and will move untilit is moved through a sixth of a revolution. When the next ratchet toothreaches a position near the end of right-hand pawl 31, cam 23 is movedfar enough around to allow roller 32 to drop back toward the positionshown and to allow the end of pawl 31 to catch the neXt ratchet tooth.Left-hand pawl 31 merely drags over the tooth and-notches behind theneXt ratchet tooth. Springs et are placed to pull between the pawls ofeach pair to hold them normally in position. The armature then movesback to its original position under the impulse of spring 12 andrighthand pawl 25 is kept from engaging with any of the ratchet teeth byreason of engagement with cam 21.

It will be seen that the main operations of the device are nowpractically the same as before. I have made some changes of proportionsand of general arrangement, notably of the magnetic field and of thegeneral design of the pawls and ratchet wheel; but the main changes onwhich I base this present invention reside in the new arrangement ofpawls 31 and their actuating cam. This new arrangement holds the ratchetwheel and the shaft stationary and impossible of movement under ordinarynormal conditions. 1f it is desired to rotate the mechanism by hand,this may be done through the medium of a hand Wheel 40 on the outer endof shaft 8 after handle 16 has been lifted and pulled farther outwardlyso as to rotate the armature and cam 23 far enough to lift right-handpawl 31 entirely out of engagement with the ratchet wheel (or theopposite operation if the mechanism is arranged to operate in theopposite direction.)

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A mechanism of the class described, comprising an oscillating member,means to oscillate the said member in either direction, a ratchet wheelmounted concentrically with the oscillating member, a pair of pawls onthe oscillating member and adapted by the movement of the same to engagewith the teeth of the ratchet wheel to each move the ratchet wheel inone direction, a cam adapted to lift the said pawls out of engagementwith the vratchet wheel during portions of their movements, a pair ofstationary pawls adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel tostop the same, the stationary pawls being normally in engagement withthe ratchet wheel, and a cam connected with the oscillating member' andmoving therewith to directly engage and raise one of the stationarypawls out of engagement with the ratchet wheel during the movement ofthe oscillating member which engages the pawl carried thereby with theteeth of the ratchet wheel.

2. A mechanism of the class described, comprising an oscillating member,means for oscillating said member in either direction, a ratchet wheelmounted concentrically with the oscillating member, a pair of pawls onthe oscillating member and each adapted by movement of the same in onedirection to be first moved into engagement with the teeth of theratchet wheel and then to cause the movement of the ratchet wheel inthat direction, each pawl dragging over the teeth of the ratchet wheelin the opposite direction, a stationary cam with which said pawls engageto be lifted out of engagement with the ratchet wheel during portions oftheir movements, a pair of stationary pawls adapted to engage the teethof the ratchet wheel to stop the same, the stationary pawls beingnormally in engagement with the ratchet wheel, and a cam connected withthe oscillating member and moving therewith to engage and raise one ofthe stationary pawls out of engagement with the ratchet wheel by virtueof the movement of the oscillating member which engages the pawl carriedthereby with the teeth of the ratchet wheel.

3. A mechanism of the class described, comprising an oscillating member,means for oscillating said member in either direction, a ratchet wheelmounted concentrically with the oscillating member, a pair of pawls onthe oscillating member and each adapted by movement of the same in onedirection to be rst moved into engagement with the teeth of the ratchetwheel and then to cause the movement of the ratchet wheel in thatdirection, dragging over the ratchet wheel upon opposite movement, astationary cam with which said pawls engage to be lifted out ofengagement with the ratchet wheel during portions of their movements, apair of stationary pawls adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchetwheel to stop the same, the stationary pawls being normally inengagement with the ratchet wheel, and a cam connected with theoscillating member and moving therewith to engage and raise one of thestationary pawls out of engagement with the ratchet wheel by virtue ofthe movement of the oscillating member which engages the pawl carriedthereby with the teeth of the In Witness that I claim the foregoing Iratchet Wheel, said moving cam being of have hereunto subscribed my namethis 9th such extent as to allow the stationary lifted thereby to dropback into engage 5 with the ratchet Wheel n front Said paWL of theratchet tooth adjacent that previously engaged by day of June 191 O paWlBLANDO E. KELLUM.

ment

Witnesses:

L. P. SARGENT, JAMES T. BARKELEW.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

